Grieving for Pink Diamond (Expanded)
by Sally Vivi Yee
Summary: Rewritten the scene of Yellow and Blue Diamond grieving for Pink Diamond, except rewritten so that Blue goes through a bit more trouble to realize that she has been stupid.
1. Chapter 1: Comforting Blue

"Please tell me you're joking. You only just left, and you're already back?" Yellow sighs, stepping through the pink doors and into the pink room.

Blue stands up, nearly tripping against the altar. "Yellow! W-what are you doing here?"

Yellow steps closer, towards Blue. "To bring you back to reality, Blue."

Blue feigns a smile, but it falters and shatters like a dropped plate. "I'm fine. You didn't have to come here."

Yellow sighs, placing a hand on Blue's shoulder. "It's been thousands of years, Blue. It's time to be done with it and shatter the rest of these insipid Rose Quartz gems."

"But they're all we have left of her. These Gems, this place, the Earth." She shrugs off his hand. "You don't understand. How can you not feel any emotion that Pink Diamond was _shattered_? She's a Diamond, just like you and I!"

Blue curls her hands into fists and slams one into a pillar, knocking it over. "She was so bubbly, so optimistic, so kind. She even thought that the lowly organisms on Earth deserved to live! How can you put all of that behind you and just continue on like it was nothing?"

She glares at him directly. "You heartless bastard!"

Yellow sighs, expelling all of the anger he had built up. He again places a hand on Blue's shoulder, though she shrugs it off. "Blue, I'm not trying to demean that you're grieving. I understand. It was the first time in Gem History that a Diamond was shattered, and I understand that. I…" Yellow looks away from Blue. He is not tearing up, but he places a hand over his mouth. "I…was the one to give Pink Diamond a colony, after all."

Blue stares at him, a look of understanding crossing her face. The anger in her boils off like steam, leaving a calm surface of water behind. "Is…that why you didn't want to come here? Because you feel partially responsible for her death? And I just said…"

Tears well in Yellow's eyes, but he stifles the shout that tries to force itself up his mouth. It comes out more of a whimper. Instead, he takes a deep breath before lowering his hand. His lips are trembling. "I…Of course I'm grieving too," he spits out. "She begged me over and over to let her have her own colony and I…just gave in! What kind of Diamond can't even hold their muster against another Diamond? Of course it was my fault!" He stomps upon the floor, and spiderweb cracks appear on its surface.

"Oh, Yellow," Blue consoles, placing her hand on Yellow's spiky shoulder pads. "I had no idea."

"But Blue," Yellow quavers. "But even though I feel solely responsible for everything here, I still…have to move on. I'm still sad. I'm still grieving inside. I still want her back so, so much. I miss how she's always able to know what we're feeling. I miss her neon pink presence spicing up our boring meetings. How could I not?"

Here, Yellow Diamond shakes off Blue's hand and places his own on Blue's shoulders. The tears fall more freely now, but through them, Yellow glares at Blue with a mixture of unrestrained bitterness and lucidity. "But despite that, despite everything that I feel, I have to move forward. I don't come here not because I don't want to. I don't come here because there are other matters that deserve my attention. I have to put all of my feelings aside and pretend to be something bigger than I am, Blue. I, no, _we_ are Diamonds first and foremost. We can't just spend our days grieving here. _We_ are the ones that keep the cosmos in order. So despite everything that we might be feeling over Pink's shattering, we have to pull ourselves together."

Blue seems to freeze. So far, she wore a sympathetic expression on her face, but hit with Yellow's monologue, she seems to analyze the points of light in his eyes. He does genuinely seem to be crying, and there is not a trace of guile or trickery in either his voice or demeanor. The longer she mentally picks apart his expression, the more she is convinced that he was being sincere. Still, she sighs and lowers her head.

"I appreciate the sentiment, Yellow. I really do."

Yellow's expression convulses into that of horror.

"Yellow, thank you. I feel much better knowing how you truly feel, but…"

"Blue..."

"…but both you and I know that it was my army that failed to protect Pink Diamond that day. I had forces in reserve, but I chose not to use them. I thought the Rebellion too small a threat to waste resources transporting soldiers from possibly rebelling colonies. It's not your fault that Pink Diamond was shattered."

"Blue, it's not-" _your fault._ Yellow bit his lip, holding back the rest of the sentence. His feet seemed to tread on thin ice, already laced with spiderweb cracks like the stone beneath his feet. "Blue, please listen-" _to reason._ That particular argument had lasted in a cold shoulder of fifty years before she spoke to him again.

"Our intelligence was faulty."

"Only because I hadn't asked my Sapphires to see that far into the future."

"Your ranks had enemy spies in them."

"Which I knew about a full two hours before the battle. Enough to get a few Lapis Lazulis and Aquamarines to the scene."

"Which would have shattered upon meeting the enemy Amethysts."

"Which my own Amethysts would have prevented, even in their compromised states."

Yellow bites his lip. He is treading on even thinner ice here. Trying to console Blue was one thing, but doing so while attempting to not challenge Blue's strategic ability in the most catastrophic battle of Gem history was another matter entirely. "Blue, the battle was-" He did not even let himself think the words that came next.

He sighs, and grips Blue's shoulders tighter. He embraces her carefully, letting her adjust her hanging head to be over his shoulder before speaking again. "I understand, Blue. Would you like me to help you with some of your administrative work in the meanwhile?"

The words seem choked in Blue's mouth as they force their way out. "Thank you, Yellow. You're a real sweetheart, but I'll be fine on my own. What will White Diamond say when he finds out that I'm not even fit to carry out my routine Diamond duties?"

Yellow squeezes her for a moment, before stepping back. Even though she is not looking, he offers a reassuring smile. "As long as you're certain this is what you want, Blue."

Blue nods, and Yellow already sees trails of tears sliding down the bottom half of her face. He calls for his Pearl to open the door for him as he exits, leaving Blue to kneel before the altar. As Yellow sneaks one last glance back at her, she is surrounded by floating bubbles. He can still clearly see her weeping form, but it is lost in a pink haze, as if the Rose Quartz within each bubble were trapping a tiny fragment of her in it as well.


	2. Chapter 2: Security Checks

"My Diamond," Blue Diamond's Pearl informs her, "your daily reports from your colonies have been waiting for you to look over them. You also have reports from a few high-ranking Aquamarines and Sapphires pending."

Blue Diamond waves it away. "Compile the reports into summaries for me."

Another round of summaries that she would not read. "But my Diamond, I cannot access the information from here. I can only access the fact that there _are_ reports pending."

At this, Blue Diamond wipes her tears with her sleeve. "Why can't you access them here?"

"Because this facility does not have a secure, private connection to Gem Homeworld. Accessing those notifications in itself is a risk."

"I thought I kept this facility up to date on all technology."

"You allocated funds for it, my Diamond, but did not personally oversee the budgeting process of this facility."

Blue Diamond turns to the Pearl behind her. "Are you implying that there is a discrepancy in the financial statements of this institution, an institution, that, need I not remind you, is managed by one of my most trusted Agates?"

Her Pearl parts the hair hanging over her face. She stares directly into Blue Diamond's eyes with those of an animal that has been cornered. She pointedly eyes five places in the room while she states monotonously, "No, my Diamond, I am not implying that there is a discrepancy in the financial statements of Pink Diamond's Human Zoo."

Blue Diamond balls her hands into fists.

"My Diamond?"

Blue Diamond stands, and shreds the last lingering tears from her eyes with her already damp sleeve. The floor crackles dangerously under her feet. "Pearl, I have yet to _properly_ thank Holly Blue Agate for her masterful handling of this facility. I would like to base many of my colonies off of her budgeting strategy."

Her Pearl lowers her bangs once again and nods. She sends a notification for the Agate in question to join them. Within a minute, the big double doors open to reveal none other than said Agate practically bursting with joy. "You wanted to see me, my Diamond?"

Blue Diamond holds back a roaring beast threatening to burst out of her. The beast wants to shatter Holly Blue upon sight, and it also threatens to emerge as an aura that would affect her own Pearl. Instead, Blue Diamond takes in a deep breath and expels the spirit of the beast in that one motion. Though it still has its effects over her, she manages to restrict it to cracking the floor ever so slightly. Holly Blue patiently waits, probably assuming that it was just Blue Diamond trying to collect herself after mourning for hours.

"Yes, Holly Blue," Blue articulates carefully. "I never properly thanked you for keeping up Pink's Human Zoo for so long, and in such an efficient state. I wanted you to share some of your managerial and financial secrets with me. Me and my Zircons could learn a lot from you."

A dark color spreads through Holly Blue's cheeks. "You flatter me, my Diamond. I never thought that an Agate such as myself would ever deserve to have an audience, nay, a prolonged conversation with your Radiance."

Blue Diamond could feel the tendrils of annoyance heat up to a fever pitch, so she digs her nails into her palms. "Why don't we move this conversation to a more suitable location? There is a cozy room in my ship. Its cushions are lovely."

Holly Blue squeaks in surprise and delight. "You would deign to have an inferior gem like me board your ship?"

Blue Diamond forces a smile to her face, though it slid back into perpetual sadness after a second. However, Holly Blue does not see it as forced. For her, even her Diamond attempting to smile at her is like basking in the sun after being stuck under the freezing ocean for an eternity. Holly Blue drops to her knees in gratefulness.

"My Diamond, your mercy, your graciousness, your hospitality..."

Tiny sparkling tears fall from Holly Blue's face and make white trails in it as they fall down, crystallizing into little fragments on the floor. "I-If it's not too presumptuous of me, I…would be honored, your Radiance."

Blue Diamond nods, flipping her cowl up before turning completely white. After a few moments of utter blinding light, a smaller version of Blue Diamond steps towards Holly Blue Agate and Pearl from the altar. She is around the same height, if not slightly shorter than Holly Blue now, and certainly smaller than her own Pearl. However, the Gem that shines proudly on her chest is unmistakable.

"My Diamond?" Holly Blue trembles at the hooded figure before her. "My Diamond, what is the meaning of this?"

With a weight still in her eyes, but a pained smile playing across her face, she states, "Some Gems feel that my normal form seems a little harsh to talk with. So when talking to others," _whose loyalty I have to determine_ "I have to shrink down to what you see before you. Would you rather prefer me in that larger form?"

Holly Blue's eyes open wide, and she puts up her hands and waves them back and forth rapidly. "No no, my Diamond! I don't mean to say that! It was just surprising, is all. I normally..."

Blue Diamond motions for her to continue.

"I don't…It's just that…"

"It's strange to have to look down on me, instead of up."

Holly Blue nods.

"Everyone gets used to it in time." Blue Diamond offers Holly Blue a hand to help her to her feet. Holly's blubbering increases in rapidity as she stares, utterly baffled at the sight before her. Her, being offered Blue Diamond's hand to help her up. Her, being allowed to touch Blue Diamond, if only for a moment. But it was again her, the Agate who had the "honor" of serving at a station with no inherent purpose to the wider Gem economy at large, with no way of rising higher in the chain of command.

With a hand trembling so hard that it seemed to vibrate, she accepts Blue Diamond's hand. Blue Diamond pulls her arm back a fraction of an inch, yet that was enough to yank Holly Blue to her feet and send her nearly crashing into her. Blue steps nimbly out of the way, and places her other hand on Holly Blue's elbow to steady her.

"I'm terribly sorry, Holly Blue," Blue Diamond apologizes, releasing Holly's elbow. "I'm still not quite used to this form yet. I forget my own strength sometimes."

The inherent contradiction in that sentence falls silent on Holly Blue's ears. Instead, she holds tightly onto Blue Diamond's hand, staring down at it. Blue Diamond's hand is so small that hers seems to engulf Blue Diamond's entirely. In fact, when she held Blue Diamond's hand, she could not find Blue Diamond's fingers, only the cloth that covers the back of Blue's hand.

Blue Diamond's back is hunched over, making her seem even tinier than she is, and the dark circles under her eyes imply that she has been weakened by her near-constant mourning. Her Alice blue hair flops about her head in faint wisps, as if the individual hairs are too shy to make an impression except where clumped together. She really did look fragile and pitiful, like a lost child.

Holly Blue releases Blue Diamond's hand, after what Blue Diamond and Blue's Pearl perceive to be an awkwardly long time.

"Let us walk towards the ship, Holly Blue."

"Of course, my Diamond."

Blue Diamond is the first one to walk into the hallway, catching the Amethyst guards by surprise. "State your business!" they demand. Holly Blue is the next to come into the hallway, but she makes no move to reprimand them. Let us see how this tinier Diamond handles this, she thought.

Blue Diamond, who assumes that Holly Blue was about to bark at them, holds up her arm to stop her. "It is understandable that they do not think me a Diamond, now that I am so small."

"You, a Diamond?" one Amethyst chuckles, grabbing Blue Diamond by her cloak. "Our Diamond is so tall that she takes up half this hall in her height. Who are you and why are you trying to impersonate her Radiance?"

Blue Diamond brushes the tiny droplets of spit off of her face. "I assure you, I am Blue Diamond." She touches the gemstone embedded on her heart. "Please, unhand me this instant."

"Or what?"

"Or else I can make your day very unpleasant. Please, do not test me."

The last sentence split a vein in Amethyst's head. She raises her left hand in a threatening fist.

It seemed to happen in slow motion. Using her right hand, Blue Diamond grasps the edge of Amethyst's right hand and turns it in a clockwise motion, locking out her elbow. She twirls her own wrist, then continues to twist, until the Amethyst is kneeling on the floor in a vain attempt to keep the pain down, and to not dislocate her shoulder. "Amethyst, do you have any problems guiding us to my ship?"

The Amethyst on the floor could only give a cry of agony.

Blue Diamond repeats her question to the other Amethyst, the one that stands stock still in shock.

That Amethyst glances to Holly Blue, who is just as startled as she is. "...H-Holly Blue, what are your orders?"

Holly Blue nods. All of the cockiness has drained out of her face, leaving only pure fear behind. "...She's Blue Diamond. She…thought it wise to resort to a smaller form to speak with us."

"I thought that it would make you more comfortable around me. It's very hard to speak to someone that's more than three times your height."

Blue Diamond releases her grip on the Amethyst before her, who flops to the ground, panting. She gathers herself for a moment, then closes and opens her right hand repeatedly, as if still unsure if it is still her hand. Meanwhile, Blue Diamond steps to the side to stand right in front of the kneeling Amethyst. She then bends down, and because of her short stature, when both of them are kneeling, the Amethyst is again taller than her. "I'm terribly, terribly sorry that I had to do that to you. I thought you were going to hit me."

The kneeling Amethyst shoots her a cocky grin. A good sign of respect and loyalty, Blue Diamond thinks. Then the Amythest salutes her. "I was not aware that I was in your presence, your Radiance. I apologize for my act of insubordination."

"No, your suspicion is greatly appreciated." Blue Diamond nods, then stares at the Amethyst closely. She stares into her eyes for a moment, then furrows her eyebrows. "If you don't mind me asking, where is your Gem detector?"

"Gem detector, my Diamond?"

"It's a little machine that I gave out to all of my Amethysts. It's a little add-on to the upgraded control headset that came out quite a few years ago. They tell anyone what gem type and facet the gem standing before them is. Surely you have one. It would have picked up on my presence as a Diamond instantly."

"I…O-Of course, I-" the Amethyst waves away her concern, while still unable to finish her own sentence. She shifts her weight from foot to foot, and breaks out in a cold sweat.

"Of course they do, your Radiance!" Holly Blue added hastily, sweeping in from behind Blue Diamond to knock the Amethyst in the head. "These _idiots_ , just left them in their quarters is all!"

"Y-Yes, that's it! We're not on front door guard duty, so we don't have them!"

Blue Diamond stood up, and set her mouth in a thin line. "Agate, _all_ Amethysts are to have their control headset _and_ gem detector on them at _all_ times. If a rogue Gem manages to enter this facility, then all guards should be ready to attack them, not just the guards at the front."

Holly Blue shivered. "Yes, my Diamond. Amethysts, fetch your gem detectors, now!"

The Amethysts exchange glances with one another, then they dart off. Holly Blue claps her hands together with a clearly fake smile plastered against her face. "I'm so sorry for my Amethysts' incompetence, your Radiance."

"No, they have some good qualities as well." Blue Diamond pauses for a moment, brow still furrowed. She tilts her head in confusion. "I...wish to speak with them in their quarters. Holly Blue, can you please give Pearl a tour of the facilities?"

"But my Diamond, what about our conversation on your ship? Surely a few pesky Amethysts aren't worth the trouble."

Blue Diamond shot Holly Blue a wan smile. "Our conversation can wait, but thank you for your concern, Agate. My Pearl, on the other hand, has been dying to have a tour of the facilities without my giant presence blocking the view." Blue's Pearl gulped at the implication. "She has ever so many questions about how you run your facility. I, on the other hand, have not been able to chat with Amethysts for a long time."

"I don't think that you should burden yourself with speaking to their vein of quartz, your Radiance. Why don't I come with you, to ensure that my Amethysts are in line?"

Blue Diamond shakes her head. "Thank you for the offer, Holly Blue, but you're giving my Pearl quite the cold shoulder. She _does_ handle all of my correspondence, after all."

"O-Of course, your Radiance! This way, Pearl."

Blue Diamond waves her Pearl good-bye, and mouths one word, "Zircon," before she turns to where the Amethysts have run off to. Her Pearl nods, and brings up her screen. She presses one button on it labeled, "Record."


	3. Chapter 3: Change of Heart

"And she just...did this weird thing to my wrist. She didn't even need to take out her weapon!" the previously kneeling Amethyst extols. "She didn't even blink, then I was down on the ground."

"Yeah, she got you good, 8XG," another Amethyst calls out.

"Are you sure it wasn't some trick that Diamonds can pull on other Gems?"

"No, I'm sure-"

The door to the Amethysts' living quarters open to reveal a very familiar hooded figure.

"Blue Diamond!" 8XG shouts, immediately falling into salute. The other Amethysts do the same, calling out her gem, then saluting her.

The figure waves away their salute. She drops her hood to reveal that she is indeed, Blue Diamond.

"I've come to ask a few questions of all of you," Blue Diamond states. "There are some things about Holly Blue that don't add up."

"Like how she's a bitch?" a Carnelian shouts from the back of the crowd.

Blue Diamond shakes her head, though a smile does grace her face. The other gems in the room loosen up at that smile. "Besides that. Were any of you given gem detectors?"

"What are gem detectors?" the same Carnelian shouts.

Blue Diamond pinches the skin on the bridge of her nose. "Do none of you have gem detectors?"

The Amethysts exchange worried looks with one another.

"Have you received any upgraded equipment? Control headsets? Communication devices? Anything?"

The Amethysts shuffle their feet.

Blue Diamond sighs, covering her eyes with her hands. "What a fool am I."

The Amethysts seem to shrink down into a corner.

Blue's knees buckle under the weight of her realization. "Oh, what your Human Zoo has come to, Pink! And I'm the one to blame!"

A few long moments of weeping pass. The Amethysts in the room awkwardly shift their weight from foot to foot. Their Diamond is weeping on the floor before them, and they have no way of knowing what is causing her sorrow, nor of how to rectify it.

"...M-My Diamond…?"

More sobbing. "It was I! It was I, who, in the spirit of preserving Pink Diamond's legacy, allocated funds for this wretched place, despite it having no significance to the outer Gem economy. It was I, who turned a blind eye to the cost structure of this place, not even asking the Zircon in charge of the financial statements to properly submit them when their forms were denied. It was I, who came to this place with high hopes and dreams of finding solace in these halls after trying and failing so hard to find solace within my own soul.

"I am the fool, roaming these walls in hopes to find what cannot be found. I am the weakling, praying that, one day, I will wake up and this will all be a dream. I am the one who is lower, ranker, than anyone else in this room, for it is I who have abdicated my responsibilities as a Diamond to anyone that was willing to pick them up."

More long moments pass, that turn into minutes, and finally, Blue Diamond stands. Tears still run down her face, but she no longer hunches over as she stands. She wipes them off with a sleeve that steams as the water touches them. "Yes, I am a fool, and a weakling, and not fit to be a Diamond. But a Diamond I am nevertheless. And as a Diamond, it is my duty to right the wrongs I have caused in my absence."

She stares at the Amethysts' feet, then lifts her gaze to their faces. When they see her, they see a deep fire burning in her eyes, that lights up the entire room. It bathes the room in a red light, and each gem within that room stands a little straighter, eyes glaring a little fiercer, and teeth a little sharper. "You." She raises her gaze to 8XG, who stiffens. "Do you know how to do the wrist lock I performed on you just a few minutes ago?"

"No, I do not, your Radiance!"

"Do you know any self-defense that doesn't include summoning your weapon?"

"I have never been taught formal self-defense, past basic training with my weapon."

Blue sighs, but stares deep into the crowd, making eye contact with everyone. "Two Amethysts, step forward. I need two Amethysts with some fighting competence, that are also willing to testify in court, against your superior, Holly Blue Agate, for embezzlement."


	4. Chapter 4: Catching the Culprit

"And here is the cleaning chamber, where the humans are cleaned, stripped of any contaminated garments, and given new ones to fit in to the local culture," Holly Blue Agate explains, pointing to a machine outside the window. "Any questions?"

Blue's Pearl types away at her screen, and since her hair covered her eyes, it is not certain whether she is looking at Holly Blue at all. She keeps typing, even after a few moments of silence. After a few more moments, Blue's Pearl glances up from her screen, into the impatient face of Holly Blue. "Any questions?" Holly Blue repeats, while tapping her foot against the stone floor.

"Oh," Blue's Pearl replies. "Not many, just this one." She scrolls down in the document, resting on a single line of text. She turns the screen so that Holly Blue can read it. _What facet is_ _the_ _Zircon_ _that prepares your financial statements_ _?_

Immediately, Holly Blue smashes a hand through the screen, which only blurs the text for a second as it adjusts to having an object pass through it. "Wh-What do you want to know? What does it matter to you what facet my accountant Zircon is?" Blue Holly Agate rips out an electric whip from the gem on the back of her head. Blue's Pearl holds up her hands in a sign of surrender, and the screen collapses into a small dot in Pearl's field of vision. "H-How did you know to ask that question? She's putting you up to it, isn't she? I knew it!" Blue's Pearl turns to run, back to where Blue Diamond and her had parted ways. "I knew it! She found me out!" She cracks her whip at Blue's Pearl. "Begone!" The whip wraps itself around Pearl a few times, then delivers a large electric shock. She cries out, before losing her physical form entirely and turning back into a pearl. For a moment, Holly Blue stares at Blue's Pearl, staring at it, at her trembling hands. She drops her whip onto the ground.

"What have I done?" She whispers fiercely to herself. "What have I done? What have I done?" Her feet seem rooted to the floor, unable to move in any which direction. Her mouth dries up, and her teeth start to chatter. "I'll...be shattered for sure!"

The realization hits Holly Blue Agate like a punch to the stomach. She would be shattered for this. Not only did she Blue Diamond's Pearl, but her crimes against Blue Diamond will surely be found out. There is no way that she could be safe. There is no _where_ she could be safe. Unless…

"Earth," she breathes. "Surely I could live on Earth." Exiled from her own kind, and forced to live out her days as a criminal. She runs her hands through her hair, weighing her options. Blue Diamond is talking to the Amethysts right now, so they would probably be against her. She could hide out in the human containment chamber for now, until Blue Diamond leaves. Then, she could take a shuttle for Earth.

"I have no ship," she realizes. "Damn it!"

But maybe Blue Diamond did not know that she had caught on yet. Maybe...Blue Holly Agate stares down at the helpless pearl on the floor. It is rolling away, as per the curvature of the floor. Maybe it could be the pearl's fault. Holly could claim that the pearl had attacked her, sell Blue's Pearl on the black market, and use the proceeds to buy her own spaceship to fly to Earth.

"Holly Blue? Pearl?" Blue Diamond's voice calls out from behind her. "Pearl, have you asked all the questions you want of Holly Blue?" She stops short, seeing Holly Blue on the ground, alone. "Holly Blue? What happened? Where's Pearl?"

Perfect. Holly Blue rises to her feet, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Your Pearl...she...attacked me."

Blue Diamond presses a hand to her mouth. "No. She..."

Holly Blue, gaining confidence, nods. Blue Diamond's urgency in visiting the Amethysts was a bit worrying, though. Holly waved that thought away. Perhaps she was just trying to understand more veins of Quartz, in order to better understand why a Rose Quartz would shatter Pink Diamond. "She ran off that way after attacking me. I think she's trying to escape on your ship."

Blue Diamond shakes her head. "No, it couldn't be."

At that exact moment, farther down the corridor, a blinding flash of light announces that Blue's Pearl is now back in her physical form. But Blue Diamond does not know that, Holly Blue gloats. "My Diamond, I must get the Amethysts. They'll be able to handle this. Perhaps you can talk down your own Pearl."

Blue Diamond nods, and darts past Holly Blue. When Blue Diamond's back is turned, Holly Blue darts back towards where Blue Diamond came from, which is the fastest path to the docking bay. She sees two Amethysts guarding the doors to the docking bay. "Move aside!" she barks, but when they turn towards her, she sees their faces are hard. She is taken aback a moment.

"We're under orders from Blue Diamond to not let you pass."

That bitch. So she was onto her.

One Amethyst lunges at her, but Holly Blue manages to extract a whip from her gem in time, and slap the lunging Amethyst across the chest with it. At the same time, however, the other Amethyst barrels into her flank. The Amethyst punches her in the face to stun her, then attempts an arm-lock. She does achieve an arm lock, but Holly's other arm is still fully functional.

Holly Blue then slashes her whip one more time, despite the searing pain, towards the other Amethyst. The electricity from the whip flows from her whip to the other Amethyst, who screams out, before dropping Holly Blue's arm. The electricity that runs back through Amethyst's body and back to Holly's is Holly's own, so she just waltzes past both soundly defeated Amethysts towards the waiting large blue ship.

"She thought that a few lousy Amethysts could defeat me, Holly Blue Agate?" she gloats. No sooner did she utter this exclamation than a singular point of blue light call itself out to her. It forms right at the entrance of the ship, bouncing over to her. Her face pales. "No."

The light seems to unpack itself, exploding into at least three separate beams that ricochet off of the walls at different angles, splitting into even more light rays. "No!" She removes another whip from her gem, and attempts to swat the individual light beams as they fly towards her. "NO!"

The beams seem random, bouncing off the walls as if trying to search the room. Some collide into each other and dissipate, while others shoot at Holly Blue. Those that do and dissipate through Holly's whip vastly outnumber those that are still in the room. One lands a hit by bouncing off the wall to her right, and hits her in the right side of her ribs. That one only leaves a slight burn. Maybe she still has a chance of escaping.

"She's in the docking bay!"

That was the voice of an Amethyst, who no doubt noticed the two hulking masses on the floor. Holly Blue steps farther into the room, turning around on all sides to swat at the beams that fire at her. But her weapon is too long, too precise and narrow to possibly catch all points of light that hurl themselves recklessly about the room. There was too much randomness, too many variables she could not account for.

The warp pad that offers a secure connection between Blue Diamond's ship and the Human Zoo is also reflective. In its depths, the entire room, including shooting points of light, is reflected. Therefore, it is even harder for Holly Blue to know if a light beam is only reflected in its depths or has hit it and is being reflected back at her. One particular light beam ricochets off of a wall, off of the warp pad's reflective surface, and dives straight for Holly Agate's neck. However, since she still does have enough reaction time to fend off these impossibly slow points of light, she is able to slap it with the back of her hand. That light beam's energy is absorbed into her body, causing disharmony, since it is not her own energy, and the beam courses through her hand, stunning her entire arm. "Shit!"

"She's going for the warp pad!"

Amethysts pile into the doorway, preparing to run into the room. A blue-robed arm stops them. "Don't come any closer." Five stray beams of light fly towards the Amethysts already standing in the doorway. The beam of light heads straight for the Amethyst's eyes, arms and torso, but the same blue-robed arm stretches out a palm, covering the Amethyst's torso, and the light beams bend, all gathering towards that hand. The beam of light makes a small pop, as it is absorbed back into its original owner, but does not cause any physical harm. "You'll die like her if you went inside."

Holly Blue Agate reaches for her whip with her left hand. However, even with those few seconds where her defenses broke down, three more light beams hit her. The first slammed her in the head, causing her ears to ring. The second burned a hole in her clothing. The third bashed her in the back of the neck, inches from where her gem is. It was the third that did it, shaking every particle in her body faster than her physical form could handle, like a teddy bear being flung around so much that its head falls off. She left this world with a violent screech, and a pop.

Blue Diamond steps out from the doorway, sighs, and bubbles Holly Blue Agate.


	5. Chapter 5: You Were Right

"Is there any particular reason you had to see me in person?" Yellow Diamond calls, sauntering through the door frame to the pink room. Blue Diamond raises her head, and turns around. His eyes widen as she seems to rise up from the pink haze, and see him clearly across the room.

"Yellow!" she exclaims, running up to him. The pink bubbles part to let her through.

Yellow continues to saunter into the room, stopping short a few paces from Blue. Blue, seeing him stop at a comfortable distance, halts her own advance. "Yellow, I'm, really glad to see you."

"You seem happy. Is there something I missed?"

Blue Diamond clears her throat. "I have something I need to tell you."

"You could have sent a report. I would have come faster."

Blue shakes her head, causing Yellow to raise an inquisitive eyebrow. She does smile, though, which lights up the entire room. "I needed to tell you in person." She swallows hard, and folds her hands across her heart. "You...were right."

"About what?"

"Everything," she bursts, dropping her hands and her eyes from Yellow Diamond's gaze. "I was acting so childish, staying here day and night, grieving for Pink Diamond. I was so consumed in my emotions that I couldn't even see the crimes happening under my own nose, in the place I mourned the most. I needed to return to my duties. And now, I need to take care of the evil and corruption that has been able to blossom in my absence."

Yellow blinks, then, after a moment of brief silence, he shakes his head clear of any fog or confusion. "Blue, I have no idea what you're talking about. Let's find a place to sit, and start from the beginning."

"That's why you should rule people with an iron fist," Yellow exclaims. "You won't have this type of corruption if you don't give people so much freedom."

Blue shakes her head, though a faint grin tugs on the corners of her lips. "I prefer to give my subordinates the freedom to make mistakes, even if it does cause unneeded court cases. May I remind you who contributes to a greater portion of the Gem economy, despite having less colonies and a smaller army?" Yellow rolls his eyes. "In any case, I have Holly Blue Agate set to go to trial in a few weeks."

"Why didn't you just shatter her? Why keep her alive, when she could be a possible thorn in your side?"

"We have a limited amount of resources, Yellow. For-"

"'For every gem that we destroy is one less gem that can contribute their talents to the economy, Yellow. There will be a point where we can't colonize any more planets, Yellow.' I know, I know, Blue." Despite a headache looming, Yellow manages a dry smile. "We've been over this before." Before you fell into a deep depression.

Blue also laughs, suddenly seeing the parallels. She speeds through her monologue more quickly, as words fall into place like skipping through a well-worn path. "And when that happens, we can't just keep producing starships, and weapons, and injectors. Sectors of the economy will collapse."

"-and we'll all fall into a recession, and gems will blame us for all of their problems."

Before the sentence is out of her mouth, Blue knows she has gone too far.

"That includes the currently bubbled Rose Quartz gems."

Yellow's headache rears itself in full force, extinguishing any goodwill he might have had in the moments prior. His face becomes a mask of rage, and he slams his fist down on his armrest. "We are _not_ letting those rogue gems run free, Blue!"

Both Blue and Yellow stare at each other. Blue has already instinctively walked around the table and is already reaching for Yellow's hand by the time he finishes his sentence. His hand, which had been in a curled fist just a moment ago, has already unfurled and turned to receive hers. She sees his hand, and how he has scooted back in his seat to invite her to sit upon his lap. He sees her approach, and the kindness and pain in her eyes. He sees her outstretched hand, which, he notes, looks so tiny, so fragile, in comparison to his. His mask of anger falls from his face, and shatters on the floor, like a dropped plate.

Blue is the first one to break out laughing. She retracts her outstretched hand to cover her mouth, to muffle her giggling. She does not fall to her knees, but tears well in her eyes as her hearty laughter is soon joined by Yellow's own. She doubles over, clutching her stomach in an attempt to stop the infectious laughter from spilling out of her, but it does no good. A wave of yellow emanates from her, causing Yellow's chuckle to explode into hysteria. He covers his eyes with his hand, to shield Blue from seeing the tears that similarly pool up there.

Blue herself has calmed down slightly, enough to be able to open her eyes without clouding them with tears. A yellow light shines out on all of the surroundings, and she sees Yellow Diamond laugh uncontrollably. In return, she smiles. All of us are fools, Blue thinks. All of us are fools, and we're here, laughing. We're here, together again. We're here, we have our differences.

And there is something beautiful in that.


	6. Chapter Final: Author's Note

I'm sorry to post the same story, except different. I was not satisfied with how Blue Diamond suddenly changed her mind about a topic that she had pondered over thousands of years, but I also wanted Blue Diamond to get over Pink Diamond's shattering. I am still not completely happy with the story that resulted from it. But I am tired of editing this story over and over and over, so this is the end result.

I wanted to write this story as a way for me to wrap my head around Yellow and Blue Diamond's dynamics, as well as playing with the concept of not all gems as female. Thank you for sticking with it until the end.


End file.
